The Leadership Alliance, a partnership of 32 high-ranking research universities and several minority-serving educational institutions, celebrated its 20th anniversary this past weekend at a conference in Hartford, Connecticut. All eight Ivy League institutions are involved in the group as are several historically Black colleges and universities including Morehouse, Spelman, Howard, Xavier, Dillard, and Claflin.

Members of the Alliance invest their financial resources, faculty talents, and commitment for the common purpose of improving the prospects of minority scholar participation in the ranks of tomorrow’s faculty. The Alliance attracts, recruits, and nurtures minority students who, with consortium support, are encouraged to pursue their educational aspirations through graduate study. Alliance programs and faculty serve to complement the undergraduate education of these rising scholars. Since its inception, the Leadership Alliance has produced 215 Ph.D.s and 19 M.D./Ph.D.s.